Historedia
AmericasEvent

Charles J. Guiteau convicted and sentenced to death for assassinating James A. Garfield

When
1882
Where
Courtroom; District of Columbia jail
Episodes
2

Charles J. Guiteau was convicted of assassinating President James A. Garfield on January 25, 1882, despite an insanity defense. The jury rejected his claims of divine inspiration, sentencing him to death by hanging. This verdict followed a chaotic trial where Guiteau frequently interrupted proceedings, ultimately leading to his execution in June 1882.

Episodes

  1. January 25, 1882 · CourtroomConviction and Sentencing

    Jury finds Guiteau guilty of murder, rejecting insanity defense and sentencing him to death.

  2. June 30, 1882 · District of Columbia jailExecution

    Guiteau is hanged at the District of Columbia jail following a rejected appeal.

Background and detail

Background. Guiteau, a mentally ill office seeker, believed he was entitled to a consular post for his campaign support. After repeated rejections, he shot Garfield in July 1881. The subsequent trial featured an insanity defense, during which psychiatrist Allan McLane Hamilton testified that he believed Guiteau was sane at the time of the assassination.

Trial Proceedings. The trial was marked by chaos, with Guiteau frequently interrupting and arguing. His counsel raised an insanity defense, but the jury remained unconvinced by his claims of divine inspiration. Guiteau continued to enjoy the media circus surrounding the case, planning a lecture tour and a presidential run for 1884.

Verdict and Sentence. On January 25, 1882, the jury found Guiteau guilty of Garfield's murder. He was sentenced to death by hanging. Although he appealed, the appeal was rejected, leading to his execution on June 30, 1882, at the District of Columbia jail.

People involved

Sources

  1. Charles J. Guiteau Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-05
  2. James A. Garfield Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-06
  3. Assassination of James A. Garfield Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-04

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.